Green’s Summer Literacy Night!

1. Green’s Summer Literacy Night! Welcome to

2. Why Read in the Summer? • The single summer activity most strongly and consistently related to summer learning is READING! This is true whether measured by the number of books read, by the time spent reading, or by the regularity of library usage. • Summer reading loss is cumulative. Children don’t “catch up” in the fall because the other children have moved ahead with their skills. • Children who do not read show a two to three month decline in reading skills. By the end of sixth grade this adds up to a 18-24 month gap, even with effective instruction. • For children reading at a level equivalent to the end of second grade or higher, reading 5-6 books in the summer is enough to stop summer reading loss.

3. How • Many • Books • Does • It • Take? Picture with Caption Layout Caption *Students reading below 2nd grade level should be reading their books over and over again throughout the summer. Research has proven repeated reading at this level improves overall reading ability. *Students reading at and above 2nd grade level may only read each book once due to the length of the books.

4. What Should Summer Reading Look Like? CHOICE! • Some researchers feel it is important that students, especially middle and high school kids, read things that are important to them socially--items related to movies and books that are popular with their friends--which most library programs encourage. • Free, voluntary reading is essential to helping students become better readers, writers, and spellers. • 8 out of 10 studies indicate students who read recreationally out-performed those who don’t. • Students read more when they can choose materials based on their own interests. • Self-selection of reading materials is an extremely important factor in motivating struggling readers, and is a key component for most summer library programs.

5. How Can You Support Your Child? THE ABC’S OF IMPROVED READING • Access to books. The use of the public library during the summer is more predictive of vocabulary gains than from summer school attendance. • Books that match the readers’ ability levels and interests. For students reading skills to improve, they need to read books at their own reading levels—not too easy, not too hard. • Comprehension, as monitored and guided by an adult, teacher, or parent. The most important piece to making summer reading effective is the help of an adult who can ask questions and guide kids to better understand what they are reading.

6. How to Pick a Good Fit Book http://safeshare.tv/w/piCeOaIgtp

7. How Much Should My Child Read? Reading Growth is Related to Volume! • Children learn to read by reading! Like any other skill, reading requires practice. • The more children read, the better their fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. • The amount of time your child spends reading matters!

8. WhyisDaily Reading Important?

9. Resources You Can Use • Level Books With Book Wizard: Find Books by Reading Level, Topic, Genre | Scholastic.com • Allen Public Library—Allen, TX - Official Website – Children, including Tumblebooks! • Summer Reading - Barnes & Noble • Half-Price Books Summer Reading Program All of these and more are on the Green Summer Literacy website

10. Summer Reading Matters! Differences in a child’s summer learning experiences during his or her elementary school years can impact whether that child ultimately earns a high school diploma and continues on to college. --McLaughlin, B., & Smink, J. (2009, June). Summer learning: moving from the periphery to the core. The Progress of Education Reform,10 (3)